Attachment for vacuum cleaners



June 17, 1930.

P. FUHRMANN ATTACHMENT FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Aug. 2, 1927 NUK/5855: INVENTOR.- WCW/ Pa/a Z rm 22122,

ATTRNEX Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED sTTEs PAUL FUHRMANN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA ATTACHMENT FOB. VACUUM CLEANERS Application inea August 2, 1927. serial No. 210,058.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to an attachment therefor.

After a room has been cleaned, there is usually a certain amount of dust in the air which may be caused to settle by using a fine spray of liquid and oftentimes it is desirable to deodorize a room after same has been cleaned by spraying the floor and furniture with a liquid solution.

An object of my invention is to provide an attachment for vacuum cleaners which may be operated in conjunction with the mechanism of such cleaners for spraying a room or the'like with a liquid.

Another object of my invention is to so design the attachment that it may be readily attached to and removed from a standard -vacuum cleaner.

The above objects are accomplished by `providing a fluid tank with an outlet`nozzle so arranged with relation to the fan casasf ing of the vacuum' cleaner that fluid pressure may be produced in said tank from said The mechanism may also be provided i with means for diverting the fluid pressure into the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner, as may be desired.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner on which an embodiment of my invention has been installed, and

, Figure 2 is a detailed fragmentary view of the conduit connection and of the arrangement of valves therein, the same being shown partly broken away. for this purpose, and f Figure 3 an enlarged -detail View of a valve member.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention attached to one type of vacuum cleaner but it will be readily underl stood that structural changes maybe made in the invention which will adapt it for use on any vacuum cleaner without departing from the spirit of the invention and that such changes may be easily withi'n the abillty of a mechanic skilled in the art.

Referring now more in detail to the draw- `of a handle 17 formed integral ings, a tank 5 is shown mounted on the nozzle 6 of a vacuum cleaner with its back against the fan casing 7 and'provided with depending lugs 8 which are preferably rigidly secured to the rear side adapted to engage the rear side of nozzle 6 at either side of fan casing 7 so that, when the tank is seated on the nozzle, it is held against forward, rearward or lateral movement. j

In adapting a vacuum cleaner to receive the attachment, it is usually necessary to make some alteration to the air outlet pipe, generally at apoint close to the fan casing. In the present instance, the original conduit has been removed and a fitting 9 secured to fan casing 7 in any convenient manner. Fitting`9 is provided with twoV outlets 10 and 11; outlet 10 communicating with the dust bag 12, preferably through a conduit 13, while outlet 11 communicates with a bent pipe 14: which has, its other end firmly secured tothe top of tank 5. Itwill thus be seen that tank 5 is held against upward movement by pipe 14. A valve member 15 is rigidly secured to a hinge pin 16 which is rotatably mounted in fitting 9 and, adapted to be swung so as to cover either outlet 10101` outlet 1l by means with hinge pin 16. A ianged gasket 18, preferably made of rubber, is disposed in outlets 10 and 11 and. held therein by the anges formed on conduit 13 and bent pipe 14. Each gasket 18 is provided with a tubular flange 19 which is of substantially the same size as the interiors of outlets 10 and 11 kso that, when valve member 15 is swung in either a vertical or horizontal position, it will abut y, the edges of flange 19 and seal off` one outlet while allowing free egress of air through the other outlet; the valve member being adapted to be held in this position by handle 17 engaging ka spring clip 20, two of which are secured to the outside of fitting 8. Figure 1 shows how handle 17 is engaged by a clip 20 and Figure 2 shows how valve member 15 seals ofi' outlet 11 and also shows, in dot-and-dash lines, how outlet 10 would be sealed if valve member 15 was swung into a of tank 5 and 55 4 lifted vertically from E nozzle 6.

Tank 5 is adapted to contain a liquid 21 which may be poured into the tank through a filler pipe 22, preferably provided with a screw cap 23. A pipev 24 is rigidly secured to the top of tank 5 and extends downwardly so that its lower end is but slightly spaced yfrom the bottom of the tank, as shown 1n Figure 1. A fitting 25 is fixed to the top of tank 5 and adapted to have one end of a flexible hose 26 secured thereto; the hose being held on handle 27 by clips 28 when not in use.

A nozzle 29, adapted to emit a very line spray, is secured to the other end of hose 26 and may be of any desired type.

When it is desired to use the vacuum cleaner, valve member 15 is swung upwardly to seal off outlet 11, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, thus allowing a free passage for the air from fan casing 7 to dust bag 12, as is customary. After the cleaning has been done, or when it is desired to spray, dampen or deodorize a room, valve member 15 is swung into the position shown by dot-anddash lines in Figure 2 so that air cannot enter conduit 13 but must pass out through outlet 11 and into tank 5 where it creates a pressure on the top of liquid 21 and forces same through pipe 24 and hose 26 to nozzle 29 and allows the liquid to be sprayed as desired. If an atomi'zer nozzle were substituted for nozzle 29, the air pressure on liquid 21 would elevate same through one hose to the top of the liquid conduit while the hose connected to the air conduit would provide the necessary blast of air for 4operating the atomizer While I have illustrated and described a certain embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications might be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and that the device may be used for spraying, dampening, using disinfectants orl msec'tlcides, and that it may be readily adapted to other uses, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. An attachment for vacuum cleaners inzle and abutting the fan casing,

cluding a liquid tank, 'removably mountable upon a vacuum cleaner, a flexible conduit connected to the tank, a nozzle on the conduit, and means for supplying the tank with compressed air from the vacuum cleaner.

2. In a vacuum cleaner having an air. passage therein, an attachment including a liquid tank mounted on the vacuum cleaner, a hose connected to the tank, a nozzle on the hose, a conduit connectin the tank to the air passage, and a valve Ier admitting air to and excluding airfrom the conduit.

3. In a vacuum cleaner having an air passage therein, an attachment including a liquid tank vacuum cleaner, a hose connected to the tank, a nozzle on the hose, a rigid conduit connecting the tank to the air passage, a hinged valve for admitting air to and excluding air from the conduit, and means for holding the valve in open or closed position.

4. In a vacuum cleanerhaving a nozzle, a fan anda fan casing having an outlet pipe to which a dust bag is attached, an attachment including a liquid tank mounted on the nozzle, a hose connected to the tank.

and communicating with a pipe opening in the lower portion of the tank, a nozzle on the hose, a conduit communicating with the outlet pipe and the top of the tank, and a valve to control the current of air from the fan to the tank.

5. In a vacuum cleaner having a nozzle, a fan, and a fan casing having an outlet pipe to which a ldust bag is attached, an attachment including a liquid tank mounted on the nozlugs onthe tank engaging the back of the nozzle, said removably mounted on the tank having a pipe therein, a hose connected to the pipe, said pipe opening in the' lower portion of the tank, a nozzle onthe hose, a rigid conduit removably connected to the outlet pipe and the top of the tank and communicating with the interior of each, and a valve to control the current of air from the fan to the tank. A

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PAUL FUHRMANN. 

